The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 484: Expounding

Kyle had to stop tidying up.

Because clearly, this wasn’t something to brush off. Not when his little mechanic was looking like a kicked puppy with a philosophical crisis.

"What do you mean?" he asked, sitting down on the bed he had just made. He patted the spot beside him, wordlessly inviting Ollie to sit.

The blonde hesitated before dropping onto the edge like he’d just been called in by the guidance counselor.

"Well," Ollie began, picking at his sleeve, "I’m not exactly an asset right now. I think I’m...mostly a liability."

Kyle blinked.

"I take up your time, your energy...I use your things...I take up all the space that’s supposed to be yours...I even take your food," Ollie trailed off, as if listing his own sins was actively tiring him.

"And, well, my parents once said that relationships should make you better. If it doesn’t, then maybe you should re-evaluate things."

Kyle tilted his head. "Hmmm. Well, they’re right about that."

Ollie’s shoulders sagged.

"But," Kyle continued, "I think you’re underestimating yourself."

"...Huh?"

Kyle gave him a soft smile. And Ollie felt personally attacked. His brain stuttered. That was an unfair smile!

"And I think I’m partly at fault for just summarizing how I really see you."

Ollie blinked at him like he was processing a security passcode.

"In my eyes," Kyle began, "you’re someone who’s skilled at his craft. But more than that, someone who wants to improve and actually puts in the work."

"You didn’t start out knowing how to make aquaponic domes, right? Or how to fix entire mechas before school started. But now?"

Kyle ruffled his hair. "You’ve really become the cutest mechanic."

"Wh—?! No!" Ollie shrieked, covering his face in horror after once again being reminded about his careless words and thick face from back then.

Kyle just laughed.

"And that exam? You struggled through it—when you could’ve cheated."

Ollie perked up in confusion. "Wait. What do you mean?"

"You guys could’ve asked D-29 for the answers. Would’ve been easy."

Ollie’s jaw dropped, and he looked like a man who was suddenly hearing the secrets of the universe. "Wait. That’s possible?!"

"Uh huh."

"I didn’t even think of that!"

"Exactly." Kyle grinned. "Well, yes, but see, just the fact that you didn’t think about that from the get-go shows just how upright you are."

Ollie’s blush deepened. "No! I wasn’t being upright! I just...I just really wanted to win..."

He really did. And he was trying so hard because of the very same man who was looking at him with those distracting eyes.

"Next time! We’ll just do that next time!" said the blonde, who was trying to be rebellious.

"Yes, you could try that next time."

"See! I’m not so upright after all!"

"Hmm...Well, that’s fine, for I’m a rather practical person."

"In fact, I’m pretty selfish. I was just glad that you came to defend me even when I wasn’t there. Even when it was in public, and even if you knew it could get you in a bind."

Kyle remembered the rush he got from watching Ollie standing his ground for him. And there was no denying just how selfish he could be. Just like now, where he couldn’t help but enjoy his little mop’s reactions.

The blonde pursed his lips, particularly embarrassed because those words made it seem like he knew what happened. "Y-you! Don’t tell me you saw it?!"

"Mn, if you’re talking about how you advocated for me, and how you told everyone that I’m yo—"

"Y-you! Don’t say it out loud!" Ollie pounced—literally—to cover his mouth, but Kyle leaned back onto the bed, dragging the shrieking blonde with him.

They landed in a tangle, and Kyle, ever the menace, whispered, "Aren’t you thoughtful—delivering yourself to me right when I wanted to hold you?"

Ollie flailed like an upturned turtle, and Kyle chuckled.

"Could you indulge me for a bit?" Kyle asked, gentler now. "Because I missed you, too."

The mechanic froze.

Then melted against the giant’s familiar embrace. It’s just that, despite it being so familiar, his heart continued to hammer away.

There was a moment of silence, and the mousy mechanic didn’t say anything and just pressed himself close, heart pounding against Kyle’s chest.

It was then that Ollie noticed it.

Kyle’s heart was beating fast, too. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

Were they...really the same?

But before his mind could wander, Kyle whispered an apology, "Sorry for not being there when you were having a hard time."

"I knew I’d cave if I saw you, so I buried myself in work."

Kyle smoothed Ollie’s hair out of his eyes.

"And now look at this—you’re doubting yourself when I should’ve been the first to reassure you."

Ollie opened his mouth. "N-no! I’m fine now, really!"

Kyle shook his head. "I’m not just going for ’fine.’"

"You haven’t even heard what I think you bring to the table. Or my list of why I like you."

Maybe death was really imminent, as the poor blonde’s soul threatened to leave his body.

"I mean, look at you. Food makes you so happy. But you’re also the first to give it away to people who need it more. Like those traumatized kids who practically tore through your stash."

Ollie groaned. "No! That wasn’t because I’m nice! I felt like crying the entire time!"

"Yes, yes. But that’s what makes it an actual sacrifice."

"Then does that mean you’re also sacrificing when you give me food?" Ollie demanded, but at the same time, he somehow dreaded hearing his response for this.

Kyle smirked. "No, for me it’s more like a trade. I get something out of it."

"Huh?"

A trade? What could he possibly be getting in return? Thought the blonde, who was pretty sure he usually gave nothing in return.

"I get to watch you wiggle. Wiggle with so much joy that it’s usually just as good or even better than eating it myself."

"I-I DO NOT WIGGLE!" His cheeks puffed up, and the milk ball turned red with embarrassment and indignation.

"Uh huh, okay sure, you don’t. Because when you don’t wiggle, you usually just cling and look at me like I hung the moon."

"!!!"

"I definitely don’t!"

Kyle chuckled, "Really? Well, I wish you would."

"What?!" Ollie was taken aback, and even more so when he saw Kyle’s expression.

How was it legal to look like that?!

"I wish you would think I’m all that. Because I like it when I’m useful to you. I like it when you think I’m dependable. And I love it when you trust me so much that even I start to believe I’m something."

Ollie’s mouth opened and closed, but words and sounds eluded him.

"I like seeing you happy. I like being the reason you’re happy."

Kyle’s voice dropped softer. "I make time for you because this—" he gestured to their tangle of limbs—"being like this with you, recharges me."

Ollie blinked. His heart thudded in his chest, loud and fast like a drumroll that never quite stopped. And yet, despite his inner rumblings, Kyle continued.

"I carry you so I can keep you close. And all that space? I like how you’re filling it all, so I could get reminded of you in every corner. Every star you stick, all your fuzzy items, and knick-knacks reassure me of your presence."

"As for that shirt? I left that shirt with you so you wouldn’t forget me."

Ollie’s breath caught. His fingers curled into the front of Kyle’s shirt, gripping it like a lifeline. He wasn’t even sure when his face started heating up again.

"You...you thought of something nefarious?"

Kyle grinned. Unable to stop the bouts of chuckled that had been threatening to escape.

"Of course. I told you, I’m not so nice."

"And I was worried about it!!!" Ollie squeaked, face turning impossibly red.

"Sorry, I should’ve known better," Kyle apologized.

Ollie covered his eyes with one hand, absolutely done with being perceived.

"So don’t think you’re just ’taking’, because, really, a lot of it is just me selfishly doing things for my own happiness."

His words were gentle, but they hit Ollie like a freight train.

"It’s just that I probably shouldn’t have done it like that..."

Ollie peeked through his fingers.

"Because if I had just told you that it’s all because I like you, then you wouldn’t have felt burdened by my actions."

It looks like he wasn’t prepared for this.

Because the overwhelmed mechanic ended up shedding a tear.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l